Council boss suspended

Sources told Chronicle that an investigating committee from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development issued Clr Zhou with the letter of suspension with no benefits.
The ministry team was still on the ground evaluating the situation at Zvishavane Town Council.
Acting Provincial Administrator for the Midlands province Mr Shepherd Marwei confirmed the suspension of Clr Zhou.
Mr Marwei said the suspension was with effect from January.
“I can confirm the suspension of Zvishavane Town Council chairman, Clr Alluwis Zhou. He has since received his letter of suspension with effect from 6 January 2012 pending investigations into allegations of corruption,” said Mr Marwei.
The Acting PA said the letter of suspension from Minister Ignatius Chombo indicates that Zhou would not be getting any council benefits.
“Clr Zhou will not be enjoying any council benefit during his suspension period,” he said.
Mr Marwei said allegations levelled against Clr Zhou include abuse of office and corruptly allocating stands to himself and his friends.
“There have been reports of rampant abuse of office and corruption in the way Clr Zhou has been allocating stands to himself,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Clr Zhou confirmed the suspension, which he, however, said was only communicated to him this week.
Clr Zhou also argued that the suspension was politically motivated.
“I only received that letter this week and I want to believe the suspension is a political gimmick,” he said.
Clr Zhou, who has been in and out of the courts in the past years over alleged stands scandals in Zvishavane, said he was clean and was eagerly waiting for the probe team to complete its investigations.
“I know everything I did was above board and these allegations are politically motivated. I will, however, wait and see the findings of the investigation team,” he said.
Clr Zhou is out on bail in a case involving five counts of illegally allocating stands in Zvishavane.